


A Good Day

by Sokorra



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Children of the main characters, F/M, M/M, alot of the ships are briefly mentioned, not much shipish stuff happening
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-22 15:56:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6085857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sokorra/pseuds/Sokorra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jed's thoughts while his granddaughter Ana gets married.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Good Day

(2034)

He sat on a bench off to the side, hidden by the trees from the main part of the yard.  He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and enjoyed the more quiet corner he had found.  Across the yard he could still hear people running about to set up for the wedding.

“Thought I’d find you here.”  He smiled, but didn’t open his eyes.  He knew exactly who it was.  He reached up and put his hand on hers as she slipped it onto his shoulder.  “Nervous?”

“No.  Happy.  Just didn’t want to be in the way.”

“Ana’s almost ready.”

“She might be ready before the wedding is even set up.”

“Well, you know Ana. Never one to let moss grow.  I’m surprised she actually took the whole year to plan this wedding.”

“I suspect that was Joey’s doing.”  He paused at the thought of his namesake.  He hadn’t thought 27 years ago that the little baby that had been named after himself and Leo would one day be his grandson-in-law.  But it made poetic sense.  He had always considered the Lymans as part of his family.  Now they were in more ways than one.  “He’s always been the calm collected one.”

“Must have gotten it from Donna.”  It was true.  Josiah Lyman was the male version of his mother.  Calm, collected. Had his father’s charm, and smile though. He had been slightly disappointed when Joey had chosen to go into acting instead of the family business of law-making, but he was happy which in the end was what counted.  And he did his fair share of campaigning for their extended family members, and championing important causes that could use his extended time in the public eye.. The Lymans had raised their oldest well.

Ana was also calm, a lot like her mother, Ellie. She also hadn’t gone into politics, choosing instead to be an artist, which had been a different path from both her parents and her grandparents. 

  
The two of them worked well together.  

He was broken out of his thoughts when the youngest of the Lyman’s two children started towards them.  Elizabeth had taken after both her parents in both looks and temperament.  At 23, she was working up her doctorate, having done her undergraduate in less time than expected.  Her thesis on the social responsibilities of law was intriguing. Josiah and Abbey had both been interviewed as part of the paper, and she regularly sent updates at their request.

“We have everything set up.”  Lizzie updated them as she reached their hiding spot.  “The President and accompanying staff members should arrive in a few minutes.”  One of the highlights of having the wedding here was that it was already approved by the secret Service.  It hadn’t needed as much prep work.

Thankfully Joey and Ana had wanted a small wedding, with only close family and a few selected others.  That included the President (Family), and some key diplomats that could not be removed from the invite list of the wedding of the Vice President’s (AKA the Mother of the Groom, and wasn’t Jed just tickled pink about that fact)  son’s wedding.

The wedding wouldn’t be for another hour or so, allowing people to arrive and for the final touches to be set up for the Bride and Groom.

“I guess that means it's time to go inside and get ready so I don’t embarrass the Bride.”

“I doubt you could do that,”  Lizzie said with a smile.  “I have to go in too.  Apparently this is not considered proper attire for a bridesmaid.”  she motioned towards her outfit of ripped jeans, tennis shoes and a Warhols T-shirt.  

The two of them walked into the house, Abbey following behind, discussing the ways they would probably be embarrassments to the bride and groom.

It was decided that Josh’s speech would probably be worse.

An hour later Jed found himself standing at the door of his home, waiting as the bridesmaids and flower girl (Joey’s daughter from a previous relationship) preceded him down the aisle.  Lizzie was the last to go, and as she started down the hill, she turned and gave him a wink, started hopping down the hill before slowing where the chairs started.  

“She is never one to stand still, is she?”  Ana said as she walked up to stand beside him.  She looked beautiful, her dress a light red, almost pink, having forgone the traditional white.  She wore no veil, but had her hair up in a complicated braid that had probably taken more time then anything else.  She reminded him of Abbey when they first met, having taken after her maternal grandmother in looks.

“Joey is going to be speechless when he sees you.”

“He better be,” she joked.  “Thanks Grandpa.”

“Well, are we ready, My Dear?”

“Let’s go show him how Bartlett’s get things done,” she responded, wrapping her arm around his and the two made their way down the hill.  It was much slower pace than Lizzie’s, and Jed almost wished he didn’t have to use a cane to help him walk.  He had been doing extra muscle exercises so he didn’t have to use the chair, but even as he got to the end of the aisle and handed her over to a misty-eyed Joey, he found himself tiring and was grateful when Ana held on to him till Abbey could take over.

He looked around him and saw his chosen family alongside his biological one.  The Lymans across the aisle, with the Seabourns behind them and their children.  CJ and Danny with their two kids were behind the Bartletts.  Molly McGarry and her family sat towards the back and Toby sat next to Josh, his two kids part of the wedding party. Filtered among the others were people he recognized and respected.  It was nice to see them all here again, and for a happier cause.

He turned his attention to the ceremony which would make Joey officially his grandson.  Joey had long called him grandpa, a title he had insisted on when the boy had been born.  This was just the paperwork.  He had watched these two grow, watched them fall in love, watched as his quiet granddaughter healed the wounds Joey had gotten from his first marriage.  Watched as they both became successful in their chosen careers and choose to use that success to help others.

He was proud of them, and so glad to still be here to watch this happen.  To see Hank and Molly Ziegler grown, Molly having children of her own.  To see Lizzie following her father’s footsteps into legislation and giving Congress hell on behalf of President Seabourn.  He got to see Sam finally get married, this time to Ainsley Hayes who kept him from being too comfortable in his own views.  Watched as he became Governor of California, and then President of the United States.

He only wished Leo was here to see all this. To see the happiness their ‘kids’ had managed to carve out for themselves, to see the next generation start to light up their world on their own terms.  Leo never got to know he had a son now, who would have made his father proud.  Andrew Jackson McGarry stood beside Hank (the best man) as a groomsman, and reminded him so much of his father.  

He smiled to himself.  Who would have thought that the day his friend stuck a napkin on a lamp that it would lead to this.  To this group of people becoming a family.  To making all the good things that the had, and dealing with the mistakes and sometimes terrible outcomes from what they had thought had been a good decision.

He had done so much with these people, and he was happy to be there that day to celebrate with them.  He squeezed his wife’s hand, sharing a smile and a memory fo their own wedding day, and turned to watch as his granddaughter and grandson exchanged rings, one’s handed down from Joey’s paternal grandparents, who were now gone.

It was a damn good day to be alive.

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by the ongoing headcanon future I have for these characters. Basically Sam eventually becomes President of the United States with Donna Moss-Lyman as his Vice President.
> 
> Most of my stories in the Things Happen universe take place with this plan. Although they are all long before any of that happens.


End file.
